Improving communication in end of life care

Since 2020, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) has investigated complaints about palliative and end of life care services across England. Its investigations have found that communication is the most common failing, with patients not being told their diagnosis, families being kept in the dark, and vital information being lost when people move between services. In this report the PHSO draws on the experiences of families and clinicians to identify where communication most often falls short and what needs to change.